


|big book of skelie one-shots.|

by moonkissed_norwegian



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Backstory, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hey kid, I originally wrote this on DeviantART under a different alias, Long Shot, M/M, Now it's a snas, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Rewrite, Romance, Short One Shot, This used to be with APH Denmark, Tragic Romance, now look where that got me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2020-08-20 15:36:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20230228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonkissed_norwegian/pseuds/moonkissed_norwegian
Summary: This is just a series of one-shots/rewrites of old fanfictions! I take requests, so if you have something you want to recommend, just comment it, please. I write for Sans and Papyrus, but I don't mind doing other characters in Undertale.





	1. what i will and will not write.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an Amino, Twitter, and Instagram account if you would like to follow along with my Undertale art! It's under the same username of 'moonkissed.norwegian' or 'moonkissed_norwegian' or '@sabelisajacques.'

Hello! I just wanted to do a short introduction and explain the various AUs/themes I'm comfortable with writing. Listed below are the AUs I will write for, followed by the ones I will consider, then the ones I will not do.

Okay:

-Undertale, Underswap, Underfell, Swapfell, Fellswap, Horrortale, Dusttale, Dreamtale, Killertale, Underlust, Underfresh, Mobfell, and Mafiatale. 

Outside characters that are included in this list: Error! Sans, Ink! Sans, and Cross! Sans. 

Consider: 

-Aftertale, Echotale, Outertale, Axetale, Flowerfell, Beasttale, Candytale, Horrorfell, Horrorswap, Dancetale, and Reapertale. 

Banned:

-Literally any other AUs besides the ones I mentioned above. 

Please be considerate and try to give me time to write all of them, if I take a request, that is. I have no word limits on these like I do for my other stories, so try not to get upset if it's not as long or whatever as you wanted. Anyhow, thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this and have fun! 


	2. |lost travelers' woods.|

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've got to get him out of here before it's too late. He doesn't deserve to be stuck here like you were, but, oh, god. You can feel it. The steadying thumping of your soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a rewrite of a rewrite from DeviantART. It used to be written with APH Denmark and I used the third person point-of-view pronouns instead of second, whoops. My writing used to be edgier and a lot more poetic, so I tried to keep some of the same descriptions and such, but you can obviously tell where my writing skills have improved. If you wish, I can include the link to it at the end of the story. This is kind of like an AU for Ink! Sans, so I'll try my best to set up the universe in a one-shot. 
> 
> This first one-shot is a rewrite and it's with Ink! Sans. I hate him with a passion tbh.

Droplets of rain fell from the sky, splattering across the earth and popping like small bubbles. Billows of ever-darkening clouds pooled over the tall and intimidating timbers, shading the forgotten forest from the bright, canary yellow sun. Branches sagged off of the blackened trees with a trace of sadness and the wind howled with a hint of agony, mimicking a symphony of cries. Ugly, dying leaves were swept into the sky, swirling and twirling around one another like a whirlpool before they disappeared from sight. Every single inch of the ground was soggy and barren, the foliage was shriveled up and recoiled in on itself. Not a single thing was due to bloom in these woods, doomed instead to decay.

There was a constant lingering scent of mildew, like rotting and the astringent scent of graveyard dirt. One whiff and then the gagging would never die down, that's how strong it was. It was awfully silent too, the kind of silence that happens when a predator is stalking its prey and is about to strike. One crick of the neck or a crunch of a leaf echoed throughout the place like a gunshot, it was so stilled.

You knew this place well, it had been your only home for hundreds of years. Your hand hopefully traced along the roughly textured bark, your eyebrows pinched together and lips taut yet your hand merely clipped through the tree. A weary sigh slipped past your gray and cracked lips, eyes misty from pent up tears and they escaped from your ducts. They flowed freely over your paled cheeks and you clenched your jaw together tightly, then you sprang into the air and floated across the forest floor gracefully. A groggy aura followed your every move, your mood now bitterly drenched. Each disconnected leaf crumpled up weakly whenever you passed over it and you swore to yourself that you could hear their dying moans hiss into the unknown.

The rainstorm worsened with every fleeting moment, yet you only apathetically continued on since the rain didn't affect you in any way and simply faded through your body. You ventured towards the spot that you spent most of your time in nowadays, dodging and slinking behind and through the trees until you arrived. It was placed in the dead-center of the woods, nothing more than a small, circular clearing evade of anything but the giant, rotting log that had snapped off from its tree during a dangerous thunderstorm. There was nothing overly remarkable about this place, except for the quaint being who frequented it often.

A skeleton had caught your attention. The first time you had stumbled upon him was not by any chance an accident, no, the very culmination of your being had sought him out because of the screams emitted from his own soul. When you had finally found him, you stayed hidden behind the trunk of an oak and emotionlessly watched him cry. Although, some sort of understanding washed over you as you watched the bulbous, multi-color hued tears stream down his cheekbones and jawline. His features were contorted up, his shoulders trembled and his breath hitched with each sob that wracked through his slim figure. Each tremor had plucked your frozen heartstrings, body twinging.

When you arrived, like you were expecting, the skeleton was there. Sometimes he came to cry, sometimes he came to draw, and sometimes he came to blankly stare off into the forest and lose himself in the world for a blissful moment. Today, it seems like he came to disassociate and drift away with the rain and the wind. Per usual, he sat on the broken log, left leg crossed over his right leg.

Your floating locks were swept askew in the strong breeze of the storm, but you brushed them aside and off of your forehead. Then you slightly curved your body to the side and peeked out from behind a sequoia, observing the motionless skeleton. You winced away whenever you felt something pound against your chest, but stared nonetheless. Glancing around where he had settled himself and noticing that even in the bad weather, tiny flocks of flowers lifted themselves toward him and waved along with his scarf. A soft smile graced your face and your mind was suddenly clouded by this thaumaturge that was before you, unaware of even his own surroundings. Such small acts of magic, and with a sleight of his hand and the deftness of his sadness, he could probably change the whole of your world.

This would not go unpunished, however, and he would surely pay the price for whatever jovial and cheery enchantment he was able to place upon this forest. These timbers were a replica of purgatory, a place where the lost reside and he was in the center of it all, unaware of the subtle effects that wormed their way into the fibers of his being just by merely sitting here.

Like a flash of lightning, there was a closing feeling inside of your throat, parched and dry. It hurt so badly and it restricted whatever unseen waves of magic that kept your translucent body together, you coughed out. Fret rushed through your veins that caused your body to stagger back onto the ground, accompanied by the hissing emitted from the ground underneath your feet. You worriedly shook your head and hoped the sudden recognition of overwhelming nervousness would die down. You couldn't just sit by and watch this skeleton suffer a fate worse than death here, it wasn't fair.

You gripped your chest, desperately attempting to ignore the aflutter feelings inside of your midriff that threatened to pull you away from the clearing.

You had to help him.

_ Justice. _

After what seemed like hours of downpour, the rain ceased thundering against the ground. The storm released whatever constricting rapture it had around the neck of the forest and the shale cumulus clouds parted, the faintest hints of pale yellow sunshine poking out. This snapped the skeleton back to reality and he hesitantly composed himself, then he shakily stood and hot puffs of breath huffed from his mouth. The miniature clouds danced around his skull for a bit before evanescing into nothing.

Beauty beheld the skeleton, ethereal and unreal amongst the trees. His rounded skull had strikingly defining cheekbones that jut out and curved, small indentions above the apples of his face and pulling out his half-lidded eye sockets. When you squinted, you noticed there was a black paint splatter blotching his right cheek. One of his pupils was a brilliant cadmium yellow star and the other was a shining cyan blue oval that seemed to really pop out against the black abysses. There seemed to be a somewhat permanent grin settled into his face, the corners tugged uncomfortably down.

His outfit, though just a tad bit excessive, seemed to frame him perfectly. He wore a hickory brown long sleeve shirt with blue lines tattooing down the sleeves, a bleached tawny brown t-shirt over that and covered by a protector vest that was the same dark shade of brown as his sleeves. A work belt was strapped diagonally across his chest, holding what looked like little bone-shaped vials of paints. Wrapped around his neck was a giant caramel-colored scarf that draped down his figure and stopped short of his blue sneakers with tiger print on the sides, fluttering in the subtle breeze. His bone-tight capris followed the same color scheme as his sleeves, topped with a pair of the bleached tawny dyed shorts. Finally, the look was completed with a pair of black, fingerless gloves and a cerulean blue winter jacket that was tied at his waist and hung down around his hips.

You thought he looked gorgeous.

Now on his feet, the skeleton slowly pivoted on his axis and started to exit the forest. You frowned a bit but paused when you saw him begin to struggle, trying to fend off the sudden rough gusts of wind that yanked on the ends of his scarf and spun him around on the heels of his feet like a carousel. He looked absolutely bewildered and you couldn't contain the giggles at how funny his expression was, your body bending forward just a little at the waist when the laughter tumbled from your mouth. You thought it would be okay to not stifle your guffaws, it wasn't like he would be able to see you anyway. That's why you were thoroughly surprised as the man cocked one of his brow bones, pupils scanning the area for the sudden noise.

Fearful, your hand covered your mouth and you immediately silenced yourself. Exploding into a cloud of colorful dust, you tried to relocate to another area of the clearing to hopefully diverge his scrutinizing gaze. You cursed yourself out inside of your mind, but those thoughts soon trailed off into wonderment that the skeleton had noticed your presence. It took a few moments for the dust cloud to reassemble and when it did, you were now standing behind the log where he usually sat and you were out of his line of sight.

Yet, he seemed to be able to sense wherever you went, since his eyes darted over to where you reappeared. Gulping to yourself and trying to remain calm, you started to believe that you might have just accidentally revealed your cover to the skeleton you had been, admittedly, creepily watching for the past few weeks. That's why you were genuinely surprised when he just reached up for his scarf and readjusted the ends, but a sigh of relief left you anyway. That was ultimately your biggest mistake.

His head snapped towards you, pupils fogged with indifference but trailed up your figure anyway, then stopped at your face and stared. Your hand shot up to clutch your chest, trying to soothe the erratic thumping marching around in your ribcage. The skeleton continued to leer at you for a couple of agonizingly long moments but he finally spoke.

"who are you?" His voice was smooth and definitely a tenor, he sounded like he picked his words carefully. Curiosity laced the edges of his tone and you involuntarily shrunk away from him. This skeleton must be a tempest or a sorcerer, there's just no way any one of the living would be able to see you.

"And what are you?" you avoided his question, wanting to know if he practiced necromancy or if he was naturally a child of the other world. "How can you possibly see me?"

"i'm just a simple skeleton," he said with a light chuckle," and you're rather blurry, but it's not impossible." His brows furrowed together but you disregarded his responses, mouth frozen agape when you realized that the effects of this forest must have already started affecting him and their progress is in a more alarming state than you originally thought. You stared at him, a sudden chill traced over your skin and you shuddered it away.

"Then you need to get out of here right now," you tried to harshly bark out at him, your features stoic. "Or else the results will be not only dire but imminent." You had mustered up the most formal tone you could manage, but it had been hundreds of years since you've interacted with anybody, so you're not even sure if you're doing this correctly or not.

"do you for real believe all of the lore 'bout this place?" he scoffed ignorantly, "you're technically the first, uh, spooky thing i've seen here." You rolled your eyes and a scowl settled across your face, you then waved your hand around in the air dismissively and offered a response.

"That's both lucky _and_ good," you slit your eyes at him, hoping to intimidate him," now leave, sir."

"my name's actually sans, or ink, i go by either really," he ignored you, "though i really prefer ink, so you should call me ink instead." You blinked at him, trying hard to douse whatever warmth started spreading over your chest and averted your eyes. Ink just continued attempting to speak with you, however.

"what about you? what were you saddled with?" Ink queried.

"Excuse me?"

"i mean, what's your name?" Ink smirked teasingly and you realized that you shouldn't be having this conversation at all, but you couldn't stop the nostalgia that cluttered your mind and made you feel high for a moment. You missed talking with people.

"(Name), my name is (Name)," you sighed out submissively, voice finally slipping back into its usual melancholic and ghostly threnody. "This is all I can tell you. Now, please, you _must_ leave this forest." You attempted to push the skeleton man away for forever, but there was no hatred present in your being that could shoo Ink away permanently.

"gee, all right, all right, i'm going," Ink replied with a hint of annoyance," but i'm coming back tomorrow." Before you were able to convince Ink otherwise, he had already turned on his heel and began the journey back out of these woods. There was a pleasantly happy facade draped across his features and he whistled a jingle, a hop to his step and you suddenly felt sickened. A dam of emotions wavered and the dam gates fell and your senses were flooded, so you stumbled back and tried to steady yourself by bending forward and placing your hands on your knees. Watching Ink leave your line of sight just heightened the emotions, and with a hopeless sigh, you closed your eyes.

This was all so wrong.

_Integrity._

Every day and night, the skeleton clouded your thoughts. Ink had kept his word, yeah. He returned back to the clearing each day at the same time and always tapped his foot impatiently, awaiting your arrival. Sometimes you just watched him, trying to muster the courage to face him. Other times, you already stood there waiting for him and he would offer a wave whenever he bounded towards you, a smile gracing his features. Very quickly, you began to feel extremely comfortable in his presence. His aura was calm and soothing, like slow waves crashing against the beach and sluggishly prising back.

Magically, he seemed to return the sentiment. He had confessed that you always coaxed his never-ending bad thoughts to tranquility and his soul always felt lighter around you, giddy even. It was with a shared glance of surprise and a little giggle, a grin dancing across your faces that the two of you began to open up to one another.

From the very second day that you had cordially met him, you learned that Ink was very energetic. His hyper personality always beamed like a beacon of light and always washed away the dark skies, he was a mystery. He was easily excitable, as jittery and bouncy as a small child receiving candy. It was so cute.

Though there were times he got too excited and he heaved, then this black, goopy substance poured out of his mouth. It was, uh, definitely horrifying and smelled kind of like a newspaper. _Gross_.

Ink could sometimes become way too loud, frightening you that one of the other angry lost souls of this forest would discover you both and then he would be flayed and ripped apart. Yet, he just always acted carefree and happy around you, like he didn't have to worry about a single thing in the world when the two of them were together. Ink explained why he had first come here, why he wanted to hide away from everyone and cry, his depression, the responsibilities that had stacked up on his shoulders.

He talked and talked, spilling out information left and right. Ink told you about his life, what he was, everything he experienced. He told you about a rival of his, talked about how much he loved and loathed his responsibility as a protector of universes, he said that he wasn't the only version of himself. It all wore him down and he was slowly losing his grasp on reality, that he needed to get away. Which was why he was here.

You revolved around in this newfound knowledge of Ink, coming to terms that you must be acting like some sort of unprofessional therapist for him. There was a moment of glory and warmth for a second and you basked in it, content that it had been you. Maybe he had chosen you because Ink just needed a stranger to share his problems with or maybe it was the fact you weren't living and were forbidden from leaving these timbers, but all you knew was that you loved it. There wasn't much you could feel passionate about anymore, but this revelation left you with strong emotions.

A headache thundered against your temples and you pitied Ink, so you tried your hardest to help and console him. It was truly a sad story, but something ate away at you. No matter how hard you tried to scrape through your brain and memories so you could share your own problems and solutions to let Ink know he wasn't alone, not a single thing resurfaced. Loneliness pricked at you and a horrid thought whizzed into your mind, and fear consumed you.

What if Ink ended up being snatched up and away by one of the other cruel souls here? If he was swallowed whole and disappeared without a trace, you would be left all alone again. And with no memory of a family or a life or recollection of your past or how long you'd been here, you would just fade away into these trees - forgotten forever.

The electrifying shocks that raked through your body hurt real bad and your expression twisted up in pain, your limbs and appendages locked up in a paralyzed attack.

Whenever you were free to move again, you discovered that the skies that had been such a pretty baby blue with several cirrus clouds hither and tither were gone and now replaced with a dark, frightening shade of navy blue. Small, white stars dotted along the skies for miles on end and upon seeing the change in scenery, your eyes widened and you glanced around fearfully. The period of time when you had been frozen left a black spot in your memory and you scurried about to find any trace of Ink. You could have been like that for hundreds of years, to be honest. It had happened before, when you became so disillusioned and blanked so hard that years swept by you and you only realized because the small plant before your feet had blossomed into a grand tree.

Ink could have died and passed on along into the afterlife, then you really _would_ be left behind for eternity. You desperately begged and pleaded and prayed, hoping that wasn't the case. Your worries were, luckily, diminished by a small, yellow piece of paper tacked up to a tree that looked fresh. When you zoomed over and scanned it, a sigh of relief escaped you. Ink just had to return home and cared about your wellbeing, stating you looked like _you had seen a ghost._ You chuckled, glad he would be returning tomorrow, but there was still a twinge of doubt that flickered to life inside of your chest.

If Ink really had died, what would you do without his affection and camaraderie?

_Not a single clue, but I'd wait until the end of the earth for him._

_Patience._

The sun peeked out over the horizon at daybreak and the rays glimmered for a bit before the thick clouds slid across the sky and barred the light. You had patiently awaited Ink, fretting and scared, but your fears were appeased by the faint outline of him through the trees. True to his word, Ink had returned the very next day. There was a pearly white smile stretching across his face and it was something that brightened your mood so instantly that you didn't even wait for him to cross into the clearing, instead brashly teleporting over to stand by him. Ink blinked at your actions owlishly but giggled nonetheless.

It was so amazing and tender that you had just wanted to swoop Ink up into the biggest embrace and never let him go, but faltered and took an involuntary step away from him. Had you attempted that, your body would have just fazed right on through him and then you would have gotten really upset.

Ink noticed and his smile flashed down at your form pityingly, plopping down on to the ground and patting the dusty dirt beside him. Trying to push away the previous surge of sadness that trickled straight into your veins and hiding your grimace, you followed suit and joined Ink, a smile present.

And even with these really nice and happy moments, the smallest epiphany whispered deep in the crevices of your mind and then suddenly it appeared from one of the alcoves. It echoed, belly sliding along the floor of your mind and suddenly it hit you like a punch to the face: Ink was going to be ripped away from you very soon. Biting your lip and glancing down at your hands, you knew it was true. Your body was fading faster than you would have wished for it to, even Ink had taken note of it. Though he kept quiet about it and you were mildly thankful, it still didn't make you feel any better.

The thoughts only continued to torment you, however, torturing whatever sanity was left and reminding you that when you disappeared that this would all be your _fault_. They told you in hissing voices and growling tones that when you were granted access to permanently leave this hell, that the other souls here would want a sacrifice, an offering. They would want _Ink_. So when you popped out of existence, their claws would rake through his skeletal body and snatch his soul up and then Ink would be stuck here just like you had been.

Then he would be trapped back into his unhappiness, never free again.

Wrenching your eyelids shut, you willed the thoughts away, forbidding them from striking you with grief any longer. You wanted to stop them from wrecking your already buzzing mind, yet they only seemed to sneer and mock you with obnoxious laughter that reverberated off of the corners of your mind. Your hands quickly shot up and covered your ears, your lips smacking open and a string of saliva snapped apart in the middle and vanished. You screamed wretched things at the voices, telling them to stop, that you didn't want to hear it, that they should go bother someone else for once. But nothing silenced them, there was no cure to curb their cruel words.

Ink had panicked throughout your entire breakdown, freaking out and desperately trying to find a way to ease you through it. His hands just whisked through your body and his hands unsteadily gripped the soggy plants underneath you. He released a shaky breath and you curled up in on yourself. It was unfair, it was so so unfair. You longingly wished that you were alive, that you would have met Ink at a pleasant little coffee shop and the two of you could have shared a cup of joe and rain would be trickling down the window and it would be toasty warm inside and the two of you would whisper nothings at each other. A sob broke out and you desired that if that didn't happen, that at least Ink would have been stuck with you here in this purgatory at the same time as you.

You craved, no, needed more time with him. Yet, your fading body just smirked up at you with a glower and you were stuck in a never-ending state of trepidation. You just wanted to keep your key to the outside world, but you wanted the key to stay by your side for forever, not be pulled away from you.

But this wouldn't be fair to Ink. You can keep going for him, you can do it. You won't fade for him.

Ah, time can be so mean sometimes.

_ Perseverance. _

Fear was now merely just an echo in the back of your mind, but still dominant enough to always be lingering around. You tried your best to ignore the meaningless anxiety and solely focus on Ink, but sometimes even that wasn't enough. However, even with your suffering, it seems that your occupation of an unprofessional therapist was helping Ink out quite a bit. He shared delightful news of new changings, new comings. Whatever relationship he had with his archnemesis had improved, the two of them had reached some sort of understanding and they no longer fought.

Ink was happier, things were looking up for him. His mental stability was drastically different than when you had first encountered him and it made his whole demeanor so much more brighter, it was so gorgeous.

It made you grin so wide and it made your heart pound so much, so why was there still that sinking feeling in your chest? It bubbled within the pit of your midriff, it felt like a trout swimming around a pond. Your brows furrowed and you looked at Ink, watching him giggle his worries away and just continue telling you about different universes and about this one story of a skeleton and a stack of hotdogs and an eye socket. You blinked and averted your eyes, whatever it was that you were feeling increased tenfold while you looked at Ink, so maybe if you avoid staring for too long then it might leave.

They did, at first. Then, they were hot and fiery as they zoomed through the canals of your heart. Their sheer burning temperature made this weird, sticky layer of perspiration coat your sickly, ghostly skin. It made your head thump and ache, like a migraine that didn't ease with naproxen. Your fingers twitched, flexed and clenched up. You pressed down so hard that your fingernails burrowed into the soft flesh of your palm, but not a single drop of blood left you. If you could have described it to Ink, you would have said that it felt like a forest fire. It was a conflagration that couldn't be doused with any amount of water and it kept going and going, tearing through the trees and killing everything with its touch.

The feeling made you want to disappear faster, just to punish Ink for leaving you for long periods at a time. But, whenever you looked into the pretty irises that changed shapes and shone with some sort of unnatural glow, you felt the fire die down and guilt overcame you. You could never wish that fate upon anyone, never. Especially not _him_. Ink was too good for this place, you thought to yourself. You're aware that it's just the newly bred emotions talking and you couldn't help but feel bad.

Sometimes the bitterness arose and it was too much to overcome, then it would consume you and it would be all you could focus on. It was dark and dreary, a bleak outlook. Your ghostly hands would warble through Ink's and then it would all melt away again though, and when you looked back up, this time, there was resolve in your glossy eyes.

Just laugh through the darkness, be happy and keep strong, (Name).

You would do this for Ink.

_Bravery._

Whenever you were barely visible to any set of eyes and Ink would have to seriously squint to even be able to see you, then did you feel something very different deep within you. Ink had finally spotted you and released a hearty cheer, flopping back down onto the ground he had previously been laying on eagle-spread. He probably assumed that you were going to be joining him and the two of you would make dirt-angels with him as you've done before, but you just couldn't bring yourself to do that. You had no idea what to tell Ink about your sudden epiphany, but the newfound curiosity of it made you steel yourself and you stood directly in front of his shoes.

Seeing him flap his arms on the ground and cackle like a mad-man, the words you were going to use to describe it just melted away and back down into your throat. They dissolved just like that, gone and flitting away. It hurt. It hurt that they left you and you felt like a tiny, little bug under a microscope, left to be picked and prodded at. Coursing through your veins and it was like a blazing inferno, spreading and tingling all the way down to your toes and they joggled slightly. The fire was warm and toasty, it was pretty, it cast the coldness that was locked into your being away.

Lost in the bliss and high the inferno whisked you into, you glanced down at your skin and you were just absolutely blown away. Whatever sickly gray painted your skin washed away and it was left feeling healthy and revitalized once more. You felt giddy.

This feeling only heightened every single time that you heard this skeleton speak, when his tenor voice was low and it was like a whisper and it would slink into your eardrums. When you would feel someone's gaze on you, then you would lift your head up by a few inches and Ink would already by staring at you. His pretty eye-lights locked intently onto your visage and the tiniest hint of a smile perking up the corners of his mouth. Or just how great it felt when your eyes would meet out of the blue and your heart would skip a beat.

It was like a confusing wave that would sweep you away and throw you into the strongest and deadliest riptide of an ocean, leaving your mind all muddled and scared. You hadn't felt like this in a long time, it had been for forever since you even knew how to handle this. And when you had been alive, you still really didn't know how to in the first place.

And Ink was the root cause of it all.

Then he started speaking.

Instantly, once the words began to flow out, you finally realized what you felt. You had discovered what the source for all of Ink's troubles were and you had been ecstatic at the time, light and happy. He had confided in you, talking about all of the happy times, all of the good times, all of the sad times, and all of the bad times. Ink gushed about all of the people he knew, came across, or briefly met. You should be jealous, you should hate all of them, envious that you can't be alive like them with Ink. Yet, you weren't filled to the brim with hatred, just..._something else._ You were fond of these people and joyful for them.

Though, this isn't what really made you feel light and happy, no, it was something else entirely.

So, with a placing of your mostly invisible hand atop of Ink's, the two of you closed your eyes before leaning in. It was then that the ice in your veins thawed and you knew.

You were in love with Ink and Ink was in love with you.

_Determination._

"where are you?" Ink's tenor voice reverberated around the forest, bouncing off of the trees and dissipating into the air. "don't tell me that you've fully disappeared now..." He trailed off into a chuckle, shoved his hands into his pockets and skimmed around the clearing in a search for you. Ink finally spotted you, standing in the dead center of this little meeting place and, by golly, did you look absolutely stunning. Two tiny magenta hearts appeared in both of his eye-sockets and Ink gasped, blinking at you rapidly in shock and awe.

The sun merely veiled through your body, adding this ethereal glow that made you look like an actual goddess. You looked revived, your skin was shining and glistened with this colorful mist. Ink trailed his heart eye-lights down your figure, drinking in your appearance before he met your eyes. An almost inaudible gasp left him as he noticed they were aglow with this unearthly brilliance. Your hair seemed to float and wave around your head all slow and ocean-like, it was a golden fire and it reflected the giant smile stretched across your face.

"I wouldn't say that I've disappeared quite yet," you mused, giggling. You waved your hand aimlessly, disregarding Ink's state and pressing on. "Oh, Ink. What would I ever do without you?" Ink quirked at bone-brow at your statement, but replied nonetheless.

"hmm, maybe i should be the one saying that," he jested, a smirk dancing on his skeletal lips. "you've helped me out so much, stars. (name), i could never repay you." You rolled your eyes and flitted over to Ink, halting a few steps in front of him and locking eyes.

"As you have I," you simply stated, tone serious but light and happy. "You're magical."

"ha! i guess i am pretty magical," Ink smirked at you, winking his right eye. "must be the positivity!" He exclaimed and you nodded at him, the wind carrying your hair and sun piercing harshly through you now. Each second that passed, it became increasingly more difficult for Ink to see you and he frowned.

"Your happiness will definitely lift the atmosphere of this place," you said. "Maybe you'll attract more visitors now that you're trapped." Ink blanched, shooting you a seriously confused glance and cocking his head to the side. In response, you only tittered and covered your mouth with your hands, eyes crinkled up.

"what do you mean by that?" Ink asked, mildly panicked once he realized that certain parts of your body had disappeared and your voice seemed like a far-cry of what it once was. It was hard to hear you and the few giggles you had released wavered through the woods, like a pebble skipping over a lake.

"Ink, you were so kind," you gushed," and you helped me!" Ink's head barely moved side to side, one singular bone-brow arched to indicate that he wanted you to continue. You closed your eyes slowly and gently sighed.

"Ah, maybe you'll find someone nice enough to help you," you ended. Ink clicked his teeth once, blinking at you animatedly and exaggeratedly. You ignored him, twirled a couple of times and spun into his chest. He stumbled back, arms lifting up and wrapping around your body. Ink was thoroughly surprised, blown away that he could finally _touch_ you.

"(name), wait, hold on," Ink started," what do you mean by that - !" Ink was cut short by you stepping up on your tippy-toes, pecking his cheek saucily and pulling back with a wet popping sound. You cheekily grinned at Ink, pushing yourself off of his chest and dancing away, arms spread out wide. You smiled and laughed, twirling your body around in loops and circles. Ink could only watch in mute horror as your last sentence echoed throughout the forest and rattled in his mind.

"Ink," you screamed," it means that I'm free!" And with a burst of colorful dust, you disappeared for forever.

_ Kindness. _

_After hundreds of years ticked by painfully slow, a skeleton with piercingly sharp, cyan and cadmium eyes observed the entrance of the forest, ever patient. His eyes were searching for a special someone, eyes waiting and with bated breath for someone to enter. He had sat in the same exact spot from the very moment he found himself trapped here, refusing to move on from the small clearing. His mind was focused solely on one name, one face, one appearance. He would instantly recognize them the very moment they shambled through the trees, oh, and he smirked so evilly at the bloodlust and glee of retribution._

_He was snapped out of his reverie, eyes darting up slightly and towards the edge of the forest. There was a shuffling, the underbrush ruffling and a few leaves shaking off and away. His eye-lights sparkled with cruelty and revenge; yet, the moment they stepped foot before him, it all left for a split second. He remembered what love felt like, what emotions felt like, what _they_ felt like. Love twinged in his heart and he winced, almost considering scaring them away so that they would never return, but the pit of darkness residing deep within him rekindled. He shook his head to clear away his thoughts as he jumped up from the fallen log, landing right in front of the once love of his life, smiling widely and kindly. He looked at their pretty hair and their gorgeous eyes and he internally smirked, releasing a few chuckles. He would make sure they stayed with him forever, he would make sure they would be forever trapped in the_ Lost Travelers' Woods.

_"hi, my name's ink," he stuck out his hand," it's nice to meet you, _(name)._"_


	3. |the dare.| [remix]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're dared to kiss your best friend, but you're terrified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This idea was originally not by me and I was given specific permission to revamp/extend their fanfic! Please, show nothing but love and support to the original creator of whom this rewrite would not be possible without. I loved toying with this idea and was so happy that they let me make my own version! I will link their account and story below at the end of the chapter!

"Bet you won't do it."

Your friend snickered out at you, nudging your other friend in the side with their elbow. They collectively waggled their brows at you, smirking and stifling their giggles. You huffed, rolling your eyes and crossing your arms. Of course, you weren't going to do it. No one in their right mind would! One of your friends perked up, sensing your frustrated aura and their smirk only elongated.

"We double-dog-dare you," they started, paused, and shook their head. "No, we _triple-dog-dare_ you." A gasp tore through your lips and your arms fell to your sides, expression locked in abhor and you jerkily swiveled your head over to them. You couldn't believe it. The triple-dog-dare. By the law of God, you had to do the dare now and they knew it. Your friends had you cornered, rubbing their hands together maliciously and licking their lips like the most delicious meal was splayed out in front of them.

"You didn't just," you sputtered, wringing your hands together nervously and glancing around the skatepark. It was mostly empty, save for your little group and one other person. The place was like any other skatepark that hides in the backdrop of every shady, suburban neighborhood, slightly rundown and graffiti coating every single inch of concrete. You could remember coming here almost every day of your childhood, donning your inlines and whizzing around every ramp and incline like a busy bumblebee. A couple of permanent scars leftover from skinning your kneecaps anytime you fell over could attest to that, since a few bandaids stretched across them even now.

"Oh, we totally just did," they grinned impishly and pushed you forward. Gaping like a fish, you glanced back and forth between your friends and the one other person in this skatepark: Fresh.

Fresh wasn't unfamiliar by a landslide, you had known him since the two of you were eight. One of the wheels of your quads had squeaked out loudly in protest to the sharp curve you had made and gave out, sent you flying and crashing into the ground before you rolled a few feet and, promptly, started sobbing. He had seen you and dashed over in a blur, lifting you up to the best of his abilities and examining the blood pouring from your right knee. You were freaking out and the sight definitely wasn't doing any favors, so he did the only thing an eight-year-old could think to do.

Fresh brought you to his dad.

Once his dad's panic subsided and noticed it was just a wound from an accident, his father tried to placate you and used his cool monster healing magic to fix the wound up for you. Then they helped locate your missing wheel and walked you home, worried that you might have hurt more than just your knee. Your parents had thanked the monsters profusely and swept you back inside to gush over you, but _he_ smiled and waved at you before the door closed. After that, you and he were inseparable.

"Eugh, I'll do it!" you murmured angrily. "Just you guys watch the master at this." Your friends knew they hadn't offended you, however, you _were_ seriously debating whether or not those two should be the best friends you trust your life with anymore. This had all started out as a meme, just a little 'haha, yeah, no way' until they took it too far. Now here you were, triple-dog-dared and afraid to ruin your friendship with the kind monster who had helped you out all those years ago. What had you been asked to do? It's simple.

You had to kiss him.

To be completely honest, you were absolutely terrified at the thought. Something had happened to Fresh a couple of years ago, something he really didn't like to talk about. It had changed your relationship with him ever so slightly. Fresh became more attached to you, clingy would definitely be a good word. Though you didn't mind one bit, it upset you that he wouldn't talk about it. His personality seemed altered, his fashion changed, and he didn't want to go by 'Sans' anymore. As a good friend should, the only thing you could do was to support him and try to stay there for him when he needed it. Which, once again, seemed to be almost every minute of the day.

Whatever it was, it had left quite the mark.

But it also made Fresh really unpredictable. The kids at school were afraid of him, even if they did roast him behind his back. They picked on you, too, for hanging out with him; however, it was just blubbering nonsense so it never really bothered you all that much. You also didn't tell Fresh about it either. Your two other friends were kind of neutral about him, though they did jokingly ship you with Fresh - there was a commissioned print of the two of you holding hands taped to one's ceiling to prove it. Which is why they had dared you to kiss him, and there you stand, watching him do a kickflip on his skateboard from afar and gulping down your nerves. Welp, you couldn't chicken out now.

Fresh landed and his skull snapped up, having just now noticed your presence and halted. You blinked, tossed a glimpse over your shoulder to see your friends gesturing for you to move forward with a shooing-motion. Gritting your teeth and feeling the corners of your mouth tug uncomfortably up, you twisted your head back around tantalizingly slow and lifted your arm to wave at Fresh. A genuine smile flushed his features and he enthusiastically returned your wave, his whole body animatedly moving along to the rhythm. Dragging your feet sluggishly across the ground, you finally approached Fresh and stood before him.

"Hi, Fresh," you greeted, your smile weak. Light flashed over the sunglasses with YO-LO scribed onto the lenses and Fresh readjusted them, the propeller on his candy apple red hat shifting at the movement. Fresh was wearing his usual cyan and violet windbreaker with the white stripe across the center and the blue line wiggling through it, pink shirt with the collars flipped up, and his yellow-green and blue joggers. His heelies were replaced with a pair of purple converse, probably due to the fact he had previously been skateboarding before you interrupted him.

"Heya, my radical chickadee," he said, one of his brows scrunching down and one side of his face clenching to indicate he had winked at you. "What are you up to on this fantastical day?" Lacing your fingers together and glancing down at your shoes, you started to devise a plan to get out of this. There was no way you could kiss him. He was your homie, your broski, your 'well, if I end up all alone by age thirty, I guess I'll marry you'.

You blanched.

Okay, so maybe you could do this. You played with your digits, fear bubbling in the back of your mind and you giggled nervously. How would you even bring this up? You're not too sure if Fresh even sees you in any sort of romantic sense, so you don't want to accidentally lead him on or something. If he doesn't, then it might make things awkward between the two of you and you don't want to push him away because of some silly dare. Let's say that you ask him and it backfires, you thought to yourself, you can just explain it was a little meme and then the two of you can move past this and you can hide away in your room in shame after you naruto-run away from him. You don't really have feelings for Fresh, but you could theoretically see the two of you being a thing, which will make you scream if Fresh overreacts to this.

You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself. You've known him for ten years, it'll be all right. Surely, this couldn't be the thing that makes your friendship crumble. It's just a silly, little kiss. Reassuring yourself silently and nodding in resolve, your pupils dashed back up Fresh's figure to see him staring down at you in confusion and you winced. You've just stupidly left his question hanging for a full minute, you were so lost in thought.

"Sorry," you shakily mumbled out. Fresh's brows furrowed and he cocked his head to the side, stuffing both of his gloved hands into his pockets.

"Little brochacha," he called softly," are you all up an' good there? You look like you're straight up not havin' a good time." Averting your eyes and shrinking back into your shoulders, you braced yourself for this. Just ask him, it'll be all right. What did you have to lose except for literally everything?

"Yeah, I...I just," you warbled and stopped. Breathe in, breathe out. You can do this. "I just want you to kiss me." You wrenched your eyes shut after this, feeling awfully dumb. Your cheeks burned and you felt hot all over, embarrassed. When you heard no response, you wearily cracked one of your eyes open and looked at Fresh in fear and curiosity. You expected to find him standing in the same place as before, yet he had soundlessly stalked over to you and now leered down over you, the creepiest smile stretched across his face. Shivers traced down your spine and you shuddered, thoroughly unsettled by the look he was giving you. Okay, scratch that, you didn't freak him out. You had upset him.

This wasn't the first time he had loomed over someone like this, all threatening and ready to throw punches. You had seen him doing this to one of your boyfriends of the time, claws unsheathed and about to end this man's career for laying a hand on you. Or the time you had to legitimately drag him away from this group of jocks at this house party that you might have consumed a little too much alcohol at and were trying to coax you into bed with them. Or the time one of the more preppy girls had sneered down at you during senior homecoming and insulted you, saying you looked ugly in your outfit and that you should just go home and Fresh almost ripped that girl's bleach blonde hair off of her scalp.

Huh, strange that the only times he looked at someone like this was whenever it involved hurting you in any shape and form.

"Care to repeat that, my love?" he purred out in a hissing-like whisper. Your eyes fluttered open and one brow arched, interest piqued. Yeah, he still sounded like your Fresh, but he suddenly lost that nineties accent that he adopted after his incident. The nickname also didn't help the sudden flush of heat on your cheeks. You swallowed and spoke.

"Kiss me," you stated, confidence slowly growing and more interested in his reactions. This was unexpected, but you weren't going to dismiss it. You'd never seen or experienced this side of him and you were so going to exploit it. Fresh stared down at you hard for a few more fleeting moments before he finally began to chuckle, which turned into full-scale laughter in the blink of an eye. You cringed away, your confidence dropping immediately and now you understand his reaction. Ah, Fresh was either repulsed by the idea of getting frisky with you or he thought this was a joke.

"Hahahaha, ha, ahh," Fresh finished, wiping away the few tears that pooled at the edges of his eye sockets. "Whew, sorry to laugh, broski. It's just - that was the cutest thing I'd ever seen!" Fresh exclaimed and you tensed up, once again left like a deer in headlights at his reaction. Obviously, you shouldn't have expected any less from this dubious character. When you finally could bring yourself to meet Fresh's gaze, you noticed that 'CU-TE' was now written across the lenses and an actual, godforsaken blush tainted your cheeks. You couldn't believe yourself. Now you were starting to feel like some silly school-girl in a poorly written fanfic.

"No, it's okay," you started to speak but was interrupted by Fresh.

"But seriously, my dude," Fresh giggled," not a good plan." You tilted your head and blinked a few times, trying to register what he had just said. Oh, god. Did Fresh think you had feelings for _him_ and that if the two of you shared a kiss, that you would be in too deep and Fresh wouldn't return your affections? Your inner mind shifted into the Easter Island Head for a moment and you shook your head, clearing your thoughts.

"What do you mean?" you inquired. Hopefully, you can explain this was a dare and then you can hobble back to your other friends pitifully and leave Fresh alone once he rejected you. You frowned slightly. Why did the idea of him rejecting you sting so badly?

"Well, you wouldn't want to get bullied for kissin' me, would ya?" Fresh mused, humming. "Or, worse than ya already are for hangin' 'round me." Wait, Fresh knew that you were made fun of for being his friend? Ah, shit, here we go again. Your brows pinched together in confusion and your pupils darted around, curious. You never told him, so how else could he have found out?

"How did you..." you started to ask but snapped your mouth closed again. On second thought, you don't really want to know that answer. You best bro was kind of a creep, so no wonder. "Fresh, I don't care. Please, could you kiss me?" At this, Fresh slammed both of his hands down on each of your shoulders and fixed you with an intense stare. Your breath left you and, internally, you screeched in a really high-pitched tone. Tensing up and holding both of your hands behind your back, you started to speak again to rationally talk this out with him before he eradicated you or something, but something made you pause. Fresh's phalanges tapped rhythmically against your shoulders and he began to quietly hum.

"You really are funny, ya know that?" he twitched slightly, looking pained. "You're trying to mess with me, my little bunny-side-up." Oh. Oh, shit. Fresh had seen through your guise and now he was upset. Man, you really messed up this time. You thought that something so simple wouldn't destroy your friendship but it seems that you've accidentally hurt him, or insulted him.

"Fresh, no, I..." you trailed off, reaching up and grabbing ahold of his wrists. "I'm not messing with you. If you don't wanna, it's fine." Your heart ached and you refused to look at his face any longer. You were the only person who Fresh actually relied on, he trusted you and now you've gone and probably ruined that. Fresh's permanent grin was diminished, the corners of his mouth dropped and he grimaced.

"Hahaha, that's real nice," Fresh muttered, hunched over you and his sunglasses slid down the bridge of his nasal cavity by a sliver. "You know, I've wanted to be the one to kiss ya for such a long time, love." He ended and said no more, and you felt guilt eat away at your conscious. Even though Fresh's words made warmth spread throughout your chest, you just couldn't do that to him, especially not after the fact he thought you were playing him.

"I'm so sorry, Fresh, I shouldn't have said anything," you tried to take a step back, but Fresh followed. You swallowed and tugged his wrists gently, trying to subtly pry him off of you. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I promise." If you were still able to maintain your friendship with Fresh after this, you were definitely going to punch both of your other friends right in the gullet. Fresh's tone still rang in your ears and you felt tears prick at your eyes. You're so stupid.

"Alright," was all he said. His grip tightened and he refused to let go, or even budge for that matter, no matter how hard you pulled. You frowned and finally looked back at Fresh's face, noticing how his smile had returned but you could see this sort of purple-hued flame wisp from out behind his sunglasses. You needed to defuse this situation, it had gone far enough.

Trying to get Fresh to let go of you didn't seem to be working and each second that ticked by made a gloomy shadow fall across his face. Your mind numbly went back to the original reason this had all started, the dare. Fresh's words also reverberated inside of your head and your eyes quickly darted down to his teeth and back up to his sunglasses. Fresh wanted to kiss you, he's wanted to for a while apparently. You bit your lip, jaw clenched tightly as you contemplated just throwing all dignity out of the door and going for it. Maybe it would finally loosen his deathly grip on your shoulders? After another moment of looking at his singular eye-light and that cracked, upside-down heart in his eye-sockets, you breathed in and nodded your head.

Looks like we're throwing all resign out the window.

Swiftly, you released his wrists and cupped the sides of his skull. His shoulders drew up in surprise and the ends of his brows shot up his forehead, the purple flame fading away. You didn't give him time to formulate any sentences before you leaned forward and pressed your lips to his teeth, closing your eyes so that you didn't have to see his reaction.

Electricity crackled against your lips and your eyelashes fluttered little butterfly kisses against his cheekbones. Fresh's entire body tensed, a shudder tore through him before his shoulders slumped, and then he finally melted into the kiss. Magic danced up your cheeks and it was like fire across your skin. Fresh's hands dropped from your shoulders to your waist, arms snaking around you and pulling you flush against his chest. His touch made goosebumps rise in his wake and a quiet moan escaped you, your hands ghosting over the sides of his skull and his neck before you wrapped your arms over his shoulders. This felt so right. You should have kissed him a few years ago, honestly.

Then you pulled back, breathily panting and locking onto his eye-lights. Your eyes widened slightly when two tiny hearts stared back at you and Fresh faltered, phalanges digging into your back.

"My radical miracle, you don't understand how _much_ I've wanted that," Fresh groaned out, pressing his teeth back to your mouth for another chaste kiss. You breathlessly laughed against his teeth, leaning into his touch.

"I've gotta admit," you whispered," that was totally sick." Fresh rested his forehead against yours, breathing heavily. His eye-lights were focused on the ground for a hot second and then they darted back up to your orbs, and Fresh almost appeared panicked.

"(Name), I'm so in love with you," he hastily hissed out, face drawn up. "I've been in love with you from the moment I saw you." You blinked at him, the warmth from earlier igniting inside of you and your jaw dropped. Suddenly, everything made sense.

Fresh always made sure that the two of you could be together, always tried to help you whenever he could. The sheer amount of times he had doted on you so willingly and so eagerly, how often Fresh tried to protect you for the people who tried to hurt you. All of the sleepovers, where Fresh would shyly ask for 'friendship cuddles'. The subtle touches, the constant glances. Fresh constantly putting you above himself and even going out of his way to make sure you were happy, or just going out of his way for you in any way possible. How hurt he was earlier when he thought that you were playing him for a fool, thinking that you might be using him.

"Oh, my God," slipped out of your mouth. One of your hands unraveled from around Fresh's neck and covered your mouth, the flurry of emotions washing over your body making you freeze in shock. His glasses now read 'LO-VE' and your heart pounded right against your chest, your breathing increasing and you're left feeling light-headed. Your mouth went dry and your throat burned, at a loss of what to say. Fresh noticed your panic and immediately lifted your face up by your chin, trying to get you to look him in the eyes.

"If you don't love me, homie," he said," it's okay. I understand, baby-cakes. I ain't exactly the most, uh, proficient partner." You stiffened and jerked underneath his gaze, inhaling sharply and your breath stuttered at his statement. It dragged you back down to reality long enough to reach up and clutch the back of his skull, shushing him with one last kiss.

It was finalizing and drawn out, and there was a magnificent shade of violet powdering across Fresh's face. You pulled back and smiled sweetly at him, hugging him. Your touch was ginger, delicate. Fresh was putty underneath your hold and he buried his face in the nook of your neck, your hair tickling his forehead and he sighed lovingly.

"My home skillet, shut up," you commanded, weak laughter fumbling on the tip of your tongue. "I love you, too." Fresh's stature wobbled a bit and he fell into you, and the two of shared a glance and laughter filled the air. The two of you left the other's embrace, hands now intertwined. There was still a blush painted across Fresh's face and you grinned, removing your hands from his. You propped one of your legs out behind you and shifted your weight, ready to spin on your axis and return to your other two friends, but Fresh snapped out like a snake and grabbed one of your hands to stop you. You quizzically quirked a brow, glancing back at your friends who were currently whooping and hollering excitedly. They held four thumbs-up in the air boldly and proudly, smirking at the two of you. Fresh swallowed and looked away from you, releasing your hand and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I'll ring you later, yeah?" he stated, ending his sentence like a question just in case you wanted to reject him. You beamed at him and patted his humerus comfortingly, one chuckle leaving you.

"I'll be waiting, Fresh," you winked at him and turned to leave. You could feel his gaze on you the entire time as you walked back to your two friends, who were currently shooting and flossing at the same time, screaming about how 'the ship has sailed'. Rolling your eyes playfully and stopping in front of them, you sneered and placed your hands on your hips.

"Aight, pussies, who's your daddy?" You snickered and they continued screaming, wrapping their arms around you in a group hug and bouncing up and down with you. You sighed tiredly and shook your head lovingly, sparing one last glance back at Fresh.

He stood underneath the hot summer sun, bathing in the yellow rays and coloring him brightly. His hands were slung in his pockets and he leaned back, watching you carefully. You smiled and lifted your arm in a wave, departing him for real as your friends dragged you out of the skatepark and in the direction of one of their homes to draw fanart. The smile was mirrored and he lifted his hand up to chest-level to wave, lovestruck and dazed. You turned your attention back to your friends and grinned to yourself.

You couldn't _wait_ for that phone call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their account: https://www.deviantart.com/code2000  
Their fanfic: https://www.deviantart.com/code2000/art/Underfresh-Sans-X-Reader-The-Dare-609774863


	4. |look, ma - no hands.| [request]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You teach Papyrus how to ride a bike ... it, uh, doesn't go so well. 
> 
> \---
> 
> This was a request from purplepika133! I hope you enjoy it! Also, this is canon to 'Komm, lass uns lieben', but just very much in the future. (You don't have to read it to understand, but I won't stop you if you do, smirk emoji)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is my Tumblr:
> 
> \- [My Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sabelisajacques)  


“Hey, look what I got ya, Paps!”

Teddy was standing there rather awkwardly, the hands that had been nervously wringing together suddenly stopping with eye-sockets widening like a deer in headlights. You grinned wolfishly, scooting over a bit to reveal the pretty pink, Disney Princess-themed bicycle propped up behind your form. He gasped, hands covering his mouth and stars glittering in his eyes, then bounded forward to grip the squishy handlebars. 

“WOWIE! YOU GOT THIS FOR _ ME???” _Teddy glanced down at you, a smile as bright as the sun stretching across his features. “I HONESTLY WASN’T EXPECTING THIS WHENEVER YOU ASKED ME TO MEET YOU OUT HERE, BUT IT’S A NICE GIFT EITHER WAY. I LOVE IT!” You nodded, one of your hands waving about aimlessly, and opened your mouth to respond until Teddy hunched down and scooped you up into his arms. He twirled a few times, bouncing in place, as he continued to thank you nonstop. You figured that Teddy would have continued on for a little longer had there not been the shrill trill of a bell, a light chuckle sounding off shortly after. 

“paps, _ wheel _ you please put her down,” Mittens appeared, donning a raspberry-colored beret (the kind you had found at a second-hand store for him) and a monochrome-striped, long-sleeve shirt, “i’d _ bike _to get started soon.” 

You snorted at the puns, as did Teddy - though he tried to cover it up with a cough into his balled fist. He gently settled your feet back onto the ground and took a step back, one of his hands resting against the middle of the bars. 

“YES, I’M VERY EXCITED TO FINALLY LEARN HOW TO RIDE A BIKE,” Teddy’s eye-lights casually shifted over to the bike as he sized it up. His expression reflected how thoroughly perplexed by it he was, but that didn’t make his smile falter in the slightest. 

“Well, you might want to put on this helmet,” you finally spoke up, leaning forward and fumbling around in the basket attached to the back before retrieving said helmet. It was orange with little green leaves patterned all over, the straps a solid black. Teddy inspected the helmet, too, and then heaved a sigh. 

“WELL, I SUPPOSE IF I MUST!” he was hesitant, but finally grabbed it and placed it on top of his skull,” THOUGH, I MUST ASK … WHY AREN’T YOU AND SANS WEARING ONE?” Mittens carefreely shrugged, now sitting on the seat and arms relaxed across the handlebars as he leaned all of his weight forward. His feet were on the pedals, not having to worry at all about toppling over with that tricycle of his. 

“it’d totally ruin the whole look i’ve got going on,” he stated. You rolled your eyes, moving around Teddy and grabbing your own bike before rejoining them. 

“The two of us have been doing this for a long time,” you explain, “it’s not common for people like that to wear a helmet considering where we are.” Teddy nods, rubbing his chin thoughtfully before he swings one of his legs over the bike. That foot rests against that pedal, all of his weight now being portioned over to his other side. 

“WELL, THEN LET’S HURRY TO MAKE ME A PRO! I WANT TO BE ABLE TO BIKE PLACES WITH YOU GUYS,” Teddy earnestly shouts, hand placed over his chest and with closed eyes. You smiled, then twisted your leg out to handle the kickstand on Teddy’s bike, and mounted your own seat. 

“Sure, but let’s go over the basics first,” you suggest, already having spun your pedals in a full circle to saddle up to Teddy’s right side. Mittens did the same, now fully flanking him on the left side. Teddy shook his head rapidly, eye-sockets snapping open with a blazing determination and ambition that made your heart skip a beat before he heartily laughed. 

“NO, NO BASICS - ONLY _ BIKE- _SICS!” 

“wait, but you don’t even know how to brake -”

But it was too late. 

Teddy released a victorious yell, still using the one leg placed on the ground to push himself to a start, yet somehow managing to raise the front tire of his bike into a perfect wheelie. You swore on your life that there was even a revving sound accompanying it as the tire slammed back down to the ground, the metal chain whirring as Teddy went barreling down as he pedaled to the best of his ability. His yell morphed from a happy-go-lucky ‘NYEH’ to a horrified ‘AHHHH’ as Mittens and you gaped as this entire scene unfolded. 

His bike caught on some loose gravel, sending him veering dangerously to the right and nearly flinging off the seat. The tires skidded noisily, making a half-donut before Teddy came crashing to the ground. It was his groaning that snapped Mittens out of his shocked state, abandoning his bike as he shortcut towards his brother. You quickly followed, the clanging of your bike falling over joining in the cacophony. 

“AH! _ SACRÉ BLEU! _AH,” Mittens had hooked both of his hands around Teddy’s sternum to pull him up, but he flailed his arms in a perfectly stiff up and down motion towards his left leg, “MY ELBOW! WAIT, AH, MY PATELLA!” You reached his other side, wrapping one of your arms behind the small of his back. 

“What’s wrong with it?” you asked, noticing that Mittens had also bent forward slightly to inspect the bone. His singular maroon orb flared a bit, like a glint of a blade, as he pointed at the rather large scrape running across the palm-sized bone. It was a grey, greenish or yellow, and there was a bit of grime and a few droplets of blood blotching out of a thin stripe. You winced as Teddy slung an arm around both Mittens and yours’ shoulders. 

“MY KNEE IS BRUISED, BUT THAT DOESN’T COMPARE TO MY EGO - NYOH-HOO-HOO!” 

“it’s alright, paps, everyone takes a spill their first go-around,” suddenly, a smirk danced up to his cheekbones,” no _ knee- _d to worry about it.” In response to Mittens’ statement, Teddy just simply began wailing. Mittens chuckled before his gaze settled on you, winking to let you know that he was about to take another shortcut, so you prepared yourself. Holding your breath and wrenching your eyes tightly shut, you felt the ground below your feet give out and the whole world lurched. 

When you reopened your eyes, the three of you were standing in your shared kitchen. It was quaint, small, and almost rustic. Your arm fell from Teddy, moving away from him to search for the little first-aid kit that was usually in one of the drawers, and Mittens helped him hobble over to a chair. You located the kit with a tiny ‘a-ha’ and faced the brothers again, shuffling over with a kind smile. 

“Yeah, I agree with Sans,” your voice was a lot softer now that you were inside, “it takes a couple of falls to get it right.” Mittens moved out of the way so that you could crouch down, bending a little as you eventually plopped down fully and crossed your legs. He joined you, the plastic kit scuttling and popping open as his phalanges ravenously shuffled through the supplies. 

“HMM, I SUPPOSE THAT’S TRUE,” Teddy wistfully said, skull angled downwards as he watched Mittens retrieve some gauze and a couple of alcohol disinfectant wipes. The wipes were soon in your hold and the packaging was ripped open within seconds, Mittens handled unraveling the gauze. 

“You even managed a wheelie your first try, too - that’s impressive,” you praised him, watching Teddy sit up proudly and puff out his chest, “also, this may sting.” 

“I’M AWARE, THANK YOU,” he nodded, which was consent enough to start dabbing the wipe across the scrape. A slight bit of air hissed through his teeth as you wiped the clotted blood off, using the other wipe to clean the grime off the area around it, “AND I KNOW! THAT WHEELIE WAS PRETTY, OH, WHAT DO THE KIDS SAY? _ EPIC?” _You snickered, moving out of the way of the Mittens’ outstretched arms as he began wrapping Teddy’s leg. 

“not gonna lie, bro,” Mittens finally piped up, diligent hands working the gauze all nice and snug around Teddy’s patella, “but that was the funniest shit i’d ever seen.” After that, the bone had been thoroughly wrapped up, so Mittens placed the miniature cloth hooks in place. You grinned proudly at the bandage, nodding your head along. He, too, leaned back to admire his handiwork before Teddy clapped his hands together. 

“WELL, I CAN’T HELP THAT I _ AM _ A COMEDIC GENIUS,” Teddy exclaimed, until his voice lowered and his smile turned into something soft, “THANK YOU BOTH.” You waved it off, accepting the now closed kit from Mittens, and the two of you stood. 

“It was really no big deal,” you stated, “we can’t just let ya walk around with an injury. How are you supposed to continue learning how to bike if you don’t heal properly?” Teddy gasped dramatically, both of his hands placed on his jowls. 

“YOU’RE RIGHT!” he exclaimed loudly, then averted his gaze with a tiny smirk, “I GUESS THAT YOU’LL HAVE TO PREPARE ME YOUR INFAMOUS RATATOUILLE IN ORDER TO NURSE ME BACK TO TIP-TOP HEALTH!” You deadpanned, sliding your irises over to look at Mittens before you realized he had disappeared. Blinking in confusion, you quickly glanced around to locate him … only to see him sitting opposite of Teddy with the back of his hand thrown over his forehead. 

“it seems that i also have come down with an injury,” he peeked out at you from in between his phalanges with a sly grin, “and the only cure would be ratatouille.” You exhaled deeply through your nostrils before shrugging and rolling your eyes, bobbing your head and smiling. 

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” you pivoted around on your heel, “hate for my boys to not get better.” There was shared laughter between the three of you, wafting around the atmosphere softly and then it slowly died down into a serene calm. You placed the first aid kit back into its original place, then scuttled around the kitchen to prepare dinner. 

Mittens and Teddy shared a look, something warm and happy, before they turned their attention to you. 

Everything was already better with _ you. _


	5. |trauma.| [request]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus comforts you during a panic attack over your trauma. 
> 
> This was a request, so I'm finally glad that I finished it - I apologize for the long wait!!!
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: This mentions past abuse, so if that bothers you, please be wary! Thank you so much for your time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's my Tumblr:
> 
> \- [My Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sabelisajacques)  


This was, possibly, one of the worst feelings ever. 

Your brain was shutting down; it was impossible to focus on anything other than your phone’s screen, and you couldn't stop skimming the post over and over and over. Your breathing had faltered, words upon words caught in the back of your throat and you choked. Tears came hard and fast, rolling down your face in a hoard of rivulets. The world around you melted away, fading into a reality no longer alive, and sweat drenched your palms. 

It was like falling, a never-ending sinking that pulled your body further down to where you couldn’t inhale - couldn’t feel anything other than scorching pain. You were crying out, screaming for anybody to save you, but only slight susurrations escaped your agape mouth. This was misery, this was eternity, this was your personal hell, this was - …

“DATEMATE, ARE YOU DOING WELL IN HERE?” a higher-pitched tenor voice called out from the darkness, a faint light parting the shadows, “I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU CRYING IN HERE.” A snivel left you, making a momentary panic run through your veins, and you ushered to wipe your face clean with your sleeve. 

“Mhmm, y-yeah, doing just fine,” your voice cracked, stuttering over your own words, “Sorry for worrying you.”

Papyrus stood on the other end of the couch, observing your shivering form as you shakily swiped away the app pulled up on your phone and locked it. You knew that he wasn’t oblivious; he  _ knew  _ something was amiss - you just couldn’t bring yourself to admit your past to him. You didn’t want him to have to know that, didn’t want him to carry your burden after having to spend a lifetime locked away underground. You didn’t want him knowing that there were horrible people that abused you, that horrible people could taint such a perfect life up on the Surface. 

You’d keep this to yourself, it would be your secret until death. 

Unfortunately, Papyrus had  _ other  _ ideas. 

“SOMETHING IS THE MATTER, I CAN TELL,” he bound forward, swerving around the couch and heading straight for you, “IT’S OKAY, YOU CAN TELL ME - I WON’T JUDGE YOU.” 

Oh, no. 

_ No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no - _

“Paps, honey, really, nothing’s wrong,” you attempted your brightest smile, wrenching your red eyes shut to hopefully fool him. There was a sudden weight settling down by your side; and cracking open one of your eyes for a quick peek, you saw that Papyrus’ look of concern had doubled and he was grimacing, sitting a respectable distance from you. He was deep in thought, scanning every fraction of your features and you suddenly felt nervous. Was it fear of him judging you? Was it fear of sharing your past? Or is it just fear of letting go of something you so desperately knew and didn’t know how to live without otherwise? 

You almost started crying again. 

“I’M SERIOUS WHEN I SAY THAT IT REALLY IS OKAY,” Papyrus leaned forward a few inches, “I  _ WANT  _ TO KNOW THE REAL YOU; I WANT TO SEE THE RAW,  _ PLEASE.”  _ And with that, your will snapped. 

Sobs wracked through your body as you grappled forward, lurching unsteadily into Papyrus’ chest and balling your fists into the fabric of his shirt. Your head buried into the nook of his neck, finding solace and peace there, and continued crying to your heart’s content. There was only a small bit of guilt nagging at your conscience, telling you that you were terrible for sharing this pain, but you couldn’t stop now. Papyrus shifted, probably trying to adjust into a more comfortable position, and you clung tighter. 

“DO NOT BE ALARMED,” he began softly, whispering into the shell of your ear, “BUT I AM GOING TO CARESS YOU NOW!” He urged, lifting his hand and patting your back. You appreciated the warning, feeling yourself flush closer to him, and sniffled. 

Papyrus held you, rubbing soothing circles onto your back and letting the ebb and flow of your emotions pool free. And this went on, holding on the entire way. Not once did Papyrus loosen his grip, nor did you, and warmth blossomed throughout your chest. You finally pulled yourself together long enough to share your thoughts, to share the You hidden away with a lock and key. He listened the entire time, skull bobbing along to every word, and the warmth only grew. Especially once the words, 

“YOUR TRAUMA DOES NOT MAKE YOU LESSER NOR WILL IT EVER,” spilled from his teeth. “YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO HIDE IT - I APOLOGIZE IF IT EVER SEEMED LIKE I WOULD NOT BE THERE TO OFFER A LISTENING!” You shook your head, a slight chuckle reverberating from deep within your throat, and directed a smile up towards Papyrus. 

“Please, you don’t have to apologize, this - this was all on me,” you explained, “I just didn’t know how to bring it up, just felt like I shouldn’t, maybe? I don’t know, I just couldn’t think of a way to ever tell you.” Papyrus nodded, intertwining his phalanges within your tresses. 

“WELL! YOU’VE TOLD ME,” he jabbed his free index digit into the air, a hopeful grin dashing across his visage, “ SO NOW WE CAN HOPEFULLY BLOCK ALL POSTS THAT MAY REMIND YOU OF YOUR ABUSER, AS WELL AS DISCONNECT FROM ANYONE THAT IS IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM STILL A PART OF THEIR LIFE!” 

“I would really appreciate that, yeah,” since you definitely didn’t want another repeat like this. Papyrus’ grin turned into something a little softer at that, eye-sockets half-lidded and a tangerine orange blush powdering his cheekbones, and he tightened his hug. Your eyes fluttered close, a quiet hum rung, and then you held him back. 

You’ve never felt safer than you did in Papyrus’ arms. 


End file.
